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By Lineo Lesemane

Digital Lifestyle Journalist


SEE: Line-up for Cotton Fest’s first Durban festival

The highly anticipated cotton “eaters” festival will feature over 60 of South Africa’s finest musical talent.


The Cotton Fest 2023 festival will take place next month, on 2 July. For the very first time, the highly anticipated music and lifestyle festival is going to Durban, at the Kings Park Stadium Outer Fields.

The festival aims to showcase the diversities in various popular music genres to fuse the gaps within the different local movements.

Headlining the festival this year is A-Reece, Babes Wodumo, Pabi Cooper, Big Zulu, Moozlie, Emtee, BLxckie, Sjava, Kabza De Small, and many other popular Mzansi music stars.

The line-up will also feature young emerging talents performing live across two energy-packed stages. 

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Fashion and lifestyle

The festival will include various other lifestyle elements to keep the crowd entertained, including The Tuckshop (retail fashion store featuring local brands), the Sports Arena (skateboard), and the Cafeteria (food court).

Other dope elements like Bespoke Photo Experiences, branded activation spaces, and curated chill areas will also be available.

“A large contingent of security including both uniformed and undercover security will be present at the festival as an active deterrent for possible criminal activity, and further offer a vigilant and fast alert response in the event of any incidents,” a press release shares.

Bringing Cotton Fest home

This will be the second festival since the passing of the founder, award-winning rapper Riky Rick. Last year April, the first Cotton Fest of the year took place in Johannesburg at The Station in Newtown in his memory.

His partner and co-founder, Bianca Naidoo, recently told IOL that she is happy to bring Cotton Fest to Durban.

“Durban has always been a city that openly embraces and supports music and youth culture. And we are thrilled to finally bring Cotton Fest home.

“It’s particularly special to the whole team and as always, we plan to bring together some of the biggest names from across the country to not only create an unforgettable experience for the Durban family but celebrate how precious life is,” she told the publication.

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festival music Rikhado "Riky Rick" Makhado

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